John Kincade founded Greenwood’s wrestling program just eight short years ago, but after last weekend already has the Bulldogs at the top of the competitive heap in the state of Arkansas.
A new state championship banner will soon be hanging in the rafters of H.B. Stewart Arena, the first one in school history for wrestling after winning the Class 5A state title last Saturday.
The Bulldogs really won a pair of state titles this month, only two weeks apart, sandwiched around a conference championship as well. On February 8th they successfully defended their 2019 dual state championship by winning the title again in a tournament held in Russellville.
The Bulldogs topped the Cyclones 45-29 in the finals to claim the overall championship by a score of 54-23. Greenwood was 24-0 in dual matches during the regular season.
According to Coach Kincade, the Arkansas Activities Association, which regulates all high school sports in the state, is looking to sanction the dual state championship in 2021.
“They’re pretty well sold on it. They came down and checked everything out and wanted to see how everything [worked]. With all three classes (4A, 5A, 6A) in the same location, it made for a bigger venue,” he explained.
On February 15th the GHS boys and girls competed in the 5A West conference tournament at Hot Springs Lakeside. Three Lady Bulldogs wrestled their way to the school’s first ever girls wrestling conference championship.
They included Lola Culverson, Delia Lawson, and Yvette Tolentino. This is the first season the Arkansas Activities Association has recognized girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport.
On the boys’ side, Greenwood led the team results with an impressive 249 points, well ahead of second place Russellville (206.5) and third place Lake Hamilton (172). Also competing were Greenbrier, Lakeside, Benton, Sheridan, and Hot Springs.
Individual performances included eight first place finishes, along with two second place and one third place finish. At 120 pounds, Gustavo Martinez won third place points, while Garrett Haralson won second place at 126 pounds and Jayden Martin at 195 pounds.
The following competitors all captured first place points in their weight division: Antonio Martinez at 106 pounds; Hayden Allen at 113; Ty Moose at 132; Colton Tuck at 145; Jason Arnold at 160; Sam Johnson at 170; and Tyler Crossno at 220 pounds. The Bulldogs did not place in four other weight divisions.
5A State Title
A week later the ‘Dogs were primed for their first ever AAA sanctioned state championship. The event featured teams from three classifications – 6A, 5A, and 4A, the latter of which includes all other teams in the state from smaller schools. It was held on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
After the first day Greenwood was in a tight three-way race, in second place between Searcy and Russellville. The three teams were separated by only a couple of points after last Friday’s results.
Knowing that Searcy’s strength lay in the higher weight divisions, which occur at the end of the competition, Coach Kincade and his Bulldogs knew they had to make their move early on Saturday, and they did, surging into the lead then maintaining it to the end.
The Bulldogs won the tournament and the state title with a team total of 238 points. The defending state champs, Searcy came in second with 219.5 points, with Russellville a distant third (189.5). Altogether, 17 teams competed in the 5A division.
At 106 pounds, Antonio Martinez won first place points, while Hayden Allen finished second at 113 pounds. Gustavo Martinez finished third for Greenwood at 120 pounds.
At 126 pounds, Garrett Haralson earned third place points, while Ty Moose took first place at 132 pounds. Colton Tuck finished second at 145 pounds. Tatum Sadler earned fifth place at 152 pounds.
At 160 pounds Jason Arnold took first place for Greenwood, as did Sam Johnson at 170 pounds. It was Johnson’s win that put the Bulldogs over the top for the state title. He was actually filling in for one of his best friends, Garrett Newman, who was injured.
Lastly, Tyler Crossno earned a decision over his opponent from Searcy in the 220-pound class. The Bulldogs did not place in the remaining divisions.
“Tyler is a beast,” said Kincade of Crossno. “There’s no other word to describe him. He finished the year at 43-3. He wrestled against the defending state champion, Jermaine Taylor, who ended up being the state champ again this year, and Tyler split (1-1) with him.
“Taylor is out of Little Rock Central and his dad is the professional boxer, so Tyler beat the state champion in Class 6A at 220 pounds. He’s got a good future ahead of him.
“We had four guys this year with over 40 wins,” he continued. “Ty Moose was 45-4, Colton Tuck was 43-8, Jason Arnold was 43-7, and Tyler was 43-3, so that’s some pretty good numbers.
“My young guys really did a great job [too]. At 106 pounds Antonio Martinez won a state championship as a freshman. Ty Moose came back and won a state championship at 132 pounds. He’s now a state runner-up and two-time state champion going into his senior year.
“Jason Arnold (160 lbs.) was crucial for us winning the state title. I’m just very proud of their accomplishments, winning the dual state championship, then the conference and state titles.
Kincade also praised his seniors this season, including Kevin Douglas, Sam Johnson, Jayden Martin, Colton Tuck, and Megan Morse.
“Those guys have been leaders all year long,” said the coach. “I just can’t say enough about them. They kept everybody focused and on task.” But the tank is far from empty, he added.
“The future still looks bright for us. We have some guys coming up, but we will definitely miss those [seniors] and their leadership.” Kincade’s youth wrestling program also won a state championship.
“One of these days I’m going to retire, and I’d like to pass this on to someone younger that will carry the torch and keep this thing going. That’s my dream,” said the highly-respected coach.
“I truly love the sport and what it does for young [people] and how it develops character and integrity and those things we need in society today,” he added.
Kincade also wanted to thank his staff assistant coach, Shannon Rhea, and his volunteer coaches, David Tuck, Robert Moore, along with Caleb and Ashley Erskine.